Unacquainted Love For a Nightshade
by Sandman1191999
Summary: Onyx eyes stared piercingly at the couple a few feet away from them, the male sharingan user stifling back a noise of disapproval. It didn't matter that his past teammate finally found a lover of her own. It was none of his concern. Yet, why could he barely contain himself every time he saw that man wrap his arm around Sakura's waist? Full Summary inside. Rated for future content.


**You're Dead To Me. So Why...? (Original Title)**

**Summary:** Onyx_ eyes stared piercingly at the couple a few feet away from them, the male sharingan user stifling back a noise of disapproval. It didn't matter that his past teammate finally found a lover of her own. It was none of his concern. Yet, why could he barely contain himself every time he saw that man wrap his arm around Sakura's waist? Sasuke Uchiha shook away the thought, returning his focus back onto his meal. Sakura was **dead **to him. She was. He kept telling himself this as he picked up his chopsticks. "You **are **dead to me." Despite this comfort though, a nagging feeling of doubt still lingered, causing him to stop eating altogether. One thought remained in his head as his eyes once again observed the couple. "So why...?"_

**Note(s): Sentences with italics in between (') is the characters' thoughts. Other times when bold or italics is being used is to highlight certain words or events in the story.**

***Hiroki means abundant, smart, radiant, and shine. The meaning of his name is basically his personality. He is an OC.**

***Hana means (according to the Japanese) flower or favorite. Truthfully, I just came up with a name in my head and then decided to look it up to see if it had fit with the character. Since favorite was one meaning, I chose to stick with it, being that her parents in later chapters will be shown to spoil her and call her "their favorite little chan." She is also an OC. **

***Also, I shall be trying out poems and/or quotes at the beginning of each chapter to kind of give a preview of what is going to be taken place. With the exception of this chapter though, since I will be placing in the over all fanfic's quote/poem, followed by the chapter's.**

***All quotes/poems and the Naruto series itself belong to their rightful and respectful owners! I don't own jack squat!**

** ~~~~~xXoXOOXx~~~~~~~**

** Fanfic's overall Quote: **

** "...he wanted her.  
And at another time, as another man, he would have her. Without hesitation. As a lover. . . as more."  
― Sarah MacLean**

**~~~~~xXoXOOXx~~~~~~**

** Chapter's Quote/Poem:**

** "Where you used to be, there is a hole in the world, which I find myself constantly walking around in the daytime, and falling in at night. I miss you like hell."  
―Edna St. Vincent Millay**

**Now on to the show (please don't kill me for the delay D:)!**

* * *

_Sakura panted breathlessly, bending over to stretch her arms and legs. The beads of sweat dripping down her neck continued their course past her tensed shoulders, the perspiration soaking her shirt and causing the wet material to cling to her back. Her entire being was sore, the muscles underneath her skin feeling tight and hard, as if some force was compacting the tissue into tiny dense rocks._

_The aftermath of her chakra filled punch surrounded her worn out body, tree logs and underground roots strewn everywhere. She snapped her head to the side upon hearing a disgruntled bark near her. Her eyebrows narrowed. She had to get out of there before **he**_ _came back. She faced away from the three victims, a remorseful expression on her face. Their dead, wide - eyed faces would forever be imprinted inside of her memory._

_She scampered through the dark brooding forest, dodging trees and other obstacles getting in her path. She increased her speed when she heard footsteps gaining on her from behind, letting her know he was close. She felt a sudden sharp pain shoot up the side of her left leg, causing her steps to falter. She gasped, almost falling to the ground. She fought back the ache in her lower limb, cringing as she pushed forward. 'I'm nearly there.' she encouraged herself, jumping over a thicket._

_To her astonishment and gloom, she felt someone abruptly jerk her from behind while in mid - air, yanking harshly on the back of her hood. She found herself then being flung backwards, flying past a dark figure. She landed roughly against some boulders, blood trickling down her large forehead. The discomfort in her leg remained, spreading like wild fore. She futilely tried to stand up only to sink back onto the ground._

_She blinked warily at the person who walked towards her, her vision blurry. It was becoming increasingly difficult to focus on her predator with each blink. Despite this, she attempted to slowly edge away from the madman, forcing pressure on her arms to cautiously drag herself along the cold earth._

_The male stared disbelievingly, observing his ex - teammate in her fragile state. Did she really think she could escape him? He leisurely followed her, his sword gripped tightly in his fist. An expression of disapproval crossed his features. She was so... pathetic. Did she honestly believe she alone, accompanied by some other weal leaf ninjas, could defeat him? The idea of her conjuring up such a solution in that 'supposedly' intelligent brain of hers made him feel insulted. She could have given him **at least **a little bit more credit._

_Tired of standing just to see her crawl half - conscious along the ground, he crouched low next to her, waiting. He knew she was about to blow out; her movements were declining with each breath and drag that she took. After a few more patient minutes the kunoichi finally dropped, breathing in and out heavily. Her face was red and puffy, bags hanging from beneath her eyes due to exhaustion and lack of sleep. Her pink hair stuck against the damp areas on her forehead, mixing in with the blood and sudor. A gurgling noise arose from somewhere deep within her throat, proceeded by crimson fluid spewing out of her mouth and flared nostrils. 'Her internal injuries are bad...' he concluded to himself, a nonchalant look on his face._

_He sighed, sheathing his sword. She wasn't worthy enough to be graced by its blade. He pulled a shuriken from his back pocket instead, twirling it teasingly between his fingers. When he reached the huffing girl, he nudged her in the side, turning her over to lay on her back. She stared at him through glazed eyes, quietly pleading for a quick death if not to be murdered at all. He smirked, letting her know their would be no such luck. He planned on killing her tortuously and slowly. He craved __to hear her agonizing screams when he'd pierce through her anticipating flesh, wanting to cherish every groan and cry that would escape her delectable, kissable lips. He yearned for the feel of her warm blood caressing his rough skin, the itch for the carmine paint making him feel almost... hungry. _

_The concrete evidence of his desires were harbored in those crazed dark pools of his, she realized. The eyes sneered hatefully at her, appearing to bounce in their sockets from the mere thought of slicing her delicate flesh open. Sakura couldn't help but to see how ironic it was. They were the same loveless orbs she used to be so mesmerized by and had eventually fallen in love with, finding them to be so mysterious and intriguing. Now here they were, the very onyx pair gazing into her emerald ones, but instead of secrecy they held hatred and pain._

_The dark - haired male climbed on top of her, grabbing her arms with his left hand and pinning them above her head. He entwined their legs together, spreading her knees far apart. He then shifted his lower torso against her, his weight crushing her and further trapping her underneath him. She was now completely immobile. It wouldn't have mattered even if he hadn't taken such precautions though; she had been too weak to retaliate in the first place. _

_Taking the shuriken in his right hand, he steadily dug a sharp tip of the weapon through the skin of her flat stomach, drawing blood immediately. She jerked slightly on contact, groaning. He ignored her, steadily carving a symbol onto her abdomen. The woman gnashed her teeth together from the immense pain, silently cursing the corrupted boy. He smugly grinned when he finished his work, staring at the emblem. He bent his head towards the mark, tracing his tongue roughly against the tattoo's lines, lapping up the blood adorning it. _

_Sakura tentatively tried to sneak a peek at whatever he had placed on her, lifting her head up. Her eyes grew in fear and amazement. The fan of the Uchiha clan peered proudly back at her, its boldness intimidating her. Was... was he saying that he owned her...? Her thoughts were briefly interrupted by a sudden series of pain rampaging throughout her body. The male's hands were swiftly roaming her torso, leaving cuts in multiple areas. The stabs he gave her were notorious, severing through the skin easily and causing her red richness to splatter against his hands and face. He reminded Sakura of a bloodthirsty demon._

_She started to tear up. She hated feeling so helpless. Her chakra had deteriorated long ago and it was a challenge just to move her arm from underneath him. She could do nothing but lay there, allowing this inhumane being to kill her ruthlessly and violently. Did he really not know that all she and Naruto wanted to do was save him from his loneliness? From his dark past? She began to tremble, salty wet drops pouring from her eyes. The sobs were first barely audible. Gradually though, they grew into roaring cries, the noises being so loud that they shook her whole entire frame._

_The Uchiha looked curiously down at the woman, pausing his work to take hold of her chin. Sympathy and sorrow mixed in with... care (?) filled his eyes and he suddenly dropped the shuriken. 'W-what's going on?' Sakura wondered. He gently brushed her pink hair out of her eyes, coming **real **close to her face. There lips were now mere inches apart. "Sakura." he breathed. "What's wrong, honey?" He started to shake her. "Wake up. Are you having a nightmare again?"_

Sakura hesitantly opened her eyes, a brilliant light blinding her. She flinched, tilting her head away from the bright source. She sighed in relief when her face came into contact with something hard. The smell of a strong cologne entered her nostrils and she twitched her nose, inhaling the scent in graciously. She smiled, looking up from the man's chest to gaze back at him. He was cradling her in his arms, anxiety evident on his features. He pulled his lip back, as if he were pondering on whether or not to say something.

She glanced around the room, noticing the bright light had came from her lamp. Clothes were scattered on the floor and her sheets were kicked to the carpet. Other objects like cosmetics and medical papers littered her bed and she suddenly felt self - conscious of herself. _'It's such a mess in here!'_

"Babe." she heard her boyfriend say. She turned around to face him.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She laughed heartily at the anxious expression he wore, gingerly stroking his face. He was always so worried about her.

"Yes, I am. How long have you been in here?" She continued rubbing him, waiting for his answer.

"Maybe a hour or two. I heard you screaming from the living room earlier. I decided to check on you. When I came in, you were fidgeting a lot in your sleep. I wrapped my arms around you and you seemed to quiet down. But a few minutes ago, you started groaning and screaming again. That's when I chose to wake you up." He was silent for a moment. "Sakura, I don't mean to pry but... what on Earth has been frightening you so much lately? For the past few nights, all I've woke up to is your screams. Sometimes I hear you yell people's names, like Kiba and Sai. Why?"

The woman grimaced. She couldn't tell him. Not yet anyway.

"It's just a past ninja assignment I had with them during the Fourth Shinobi World War. I guess I haven't truly gotten over it. But it doesn't matter. Have you eaten anything today?" She attempted to change the subject, gesturing towards the clock to show him what time it was. He appeared reluctant to answer, wanting to hear more about the mission. But he finally relented and smiled at her. "Nope."

"Alright. Let me get up and - umph!" She was cut off in mid sentence, catching herself being swooped up in her boyfriend's arms. He was holding her bridal style. He kissed her lovingly on the lips, his blonde bangs tickling her nose. She giggled. "What would you like?" she asked once he was done. He pretended to think about it. "Hm... what about you?" He licked his lips, his eyes trailing her body. She blushed.

"Um, well, I-"

"I'm kidding Sakura. Stop being so gullible." He rolled his eyes, chuckling. She pouted, her lips pursed.

He walked downstairs, his medical ninja still in tow. Sitting her on the cabinet, he went to the refrigerator and pulled out food. Sakura arched an eyebrow.

"What are you doing?"

He glanced back at her. "Cooking breakfast."

"Why?"

He shrugged. "You didn't have such a great morning. I think it'd be a considerate thing to do for you. Besides, you cook meals for me every morning. Why not make that a change for once?"

She nodded her head pleasantly, swinging her legs back and forth. "Fine then. What will we be having today, Mr. Chef?"

"Corned Beef Hash."

She stared at him in shock. "Don't you think that's a bit much for breakfast?"

He shook his head. "Nah." He took out some vegetable oil from a side drawer and placed a skillet on the stove, turning an eye on high heat. Sakura watched him, her stomach grumbling. After a few minutes, she began to play with her hair. She was bored. Fiddling with the locks, she noticed how smelly they were. It was time for a washing! Dismissing herself, she went to her bathroom, flicking on the light. She looked in horror at her disheveled appearance in the mirror. Her forehead bore a sheen of sweat and her hair was in a disarray, the strands tousled everywhere. Dried drool hung from the right side corner of her lower lip and yellow crust was in her eyes. The remaining parts of her makeup from the day before was smeared across her face, causing her to resemble a clown. How could Hiroki have not told her?!

She frowned, pulling her washcloth from the metal hanger hanging from the wall. '_Let's see if I can make something out of this.'_

* * *

Red eyes goggled the built man in front of them, the female watching closely from behind a tree as the Uchiha stepped out of the lake, shaking his hair. Water droplets dripped down his hard taut muscles, his abs glistening in the sunlight. The Uzumaki felt a warm pull begin to stir in the depths of her stomach and she abruptly stopped breathing. _'He is so hot.'_ she thought, blood running down her nose. She was completely oblivious to the incredulous stare emitting from her purple - eyed friend near her. _'Is she seriously having a nosebleed? How sick.'_ He smirked when a thought occurred to him. "Hey weirdo! Maybe you should consider wearing a tampon next time you decide to go out on one of your daily stalks!" he tauntingly yelled at her.

The girl twisted her neck in his direction, glaring at him and crossing her arms. _'Ugh! He always has to ruin the moment between me and Sasuke - Kun!'_

She stomped over to him, her fist raised. "You want to try and say that again?!"

As the two frenemies began fighting and mocking one another, Juugo approached Sasuke. "Are you sure you want to do this? We haven't seen them since the defeating of Madara and the Ten - Tails."

The other male didn't answer right away. He was silent, bending over to grab his high collared white shirt and dark blue pants from the ground. He closed his eyes.

"... Yes. I'm sure it's something _he'd_want me to do." he finally answered.

Of course by 'he' Juugo knew Sasuke meant Itachi. Two to three years had passed since the brothers last fought, and too many dark secrets had been unveiled during that past time. The group had found out Itachi murdered the entire Uchiha clan due to an order from Danzo and the Konoha Council, something which didn't quite settle well with Sasuke, seeing that he just killed his own brother. It was a matter that, Juugo soon realized, would torment the sharingan user forever.

He nodded his head, leaving the Uchiha in order to go break apart the bickering couple nearby. "You two!" he said, capturing their attention. "We will be leaving shortly. Make sure you have everything you need to last the journey. We won't be stopping for anything else along the way. We should reach Konoha by midnight."

The woman hastily put her hands behind her back, dropping the hold she had once had around the Hozuki's skull. Suigetsu fell to the ground, a hand soothingly touching his right temple. He muttered vicious words under his breath. "Alright." Karin replied, ignoring the man's distress. Juugo shook his head. _'What idiots.'_

An hour later they were all seen hopping from tree to tree, none of them speaking to one another as they dashed towards their destination, the scenery surrounding them beginning to change. The tree branches became more thicker and steadier to descend off from, while the underbrush below grew more abundant and greener across the forest floor.

'We really are in the Land of Fire.' Karin thought, a little sad. The last time she had went there, she was tortured and interrogated, a memory she'd rather forget and abandon in the corners of her mind than have to come face to face with. She sighed. _'At least I'll be with Sasuke - Kun.' _she happily told herself. '_Perhaps he'll even choose me to help rebuild his clan!'_ Her delightful thoughts drifted away when she felt someone watching her, an ominous chakra filling the air. She halted her steps, her eyebrows furrowed. Something wasn't right.

The rest of team Taka noticed her abrupt pause and looked questioningly at her, stopping themselves. "What's keeping you, Karin?" Suigetsu asked. She didn't answer. She looked like she was about to puke.

She suddenly fell to the ground, her hand automatically flying to her throat. Her face was turning into different shades of purple and red. _'This hellish chakra. What's going on with me...?'_ she inwardly panicked, her eyelids closing shut. Suigestu stared in bewilderment as he saw her pass out, stab wounds magically appearing over her arms and chest. _'What the fuck?' _he wondered.

"Suigestu, watch out!" he heard Juugo yell from behind him. He turned around just in time to block an attack from a ninja, the stranger's blade swiping deep into his left arm. Suigetsu smugly smirked at his new acquaintance's ignorance. "Hm. I wonder why I couldn't sense you. I suppose it doesn't matter though. It's not like you can actually hurt me anyways." With that, his arm split from his body, forming into a large blob of water. "Has no one told you? I do the cutting around here." He tightened his grip on Kubikiribōchō, preparing to decapitate the unknown person. However, something odd occurred and his body began to act on its own accord. He jumped backwards unexpectedly, swashing the sword through the air. The weapon made contact with Sasuke's blade. His eyebrows rose. "Interesting." They both began to fight each other, the sounds of metal clashing fiercely being heard throughout the wood.

"I can't stop." Suigetsu stated, trying his best to keep from hitting his partner. He bit on his tongue when he felt a sting on his leg. It seemed his teammate wasn't so worried about striking him at all.

He moved his body quickly, dodging the aims from Sasuke. His eyes bulged when his opponent stabbed him square in the chest. He lightly blew it off at first, expecting the blade to go through him, his liquid body protecting him. Unfortunately, his vessel remained in tact, not dispersing into water like it usually does. Concern spread across his features, blood seeping from his injury. His legs felt weak. He glanced up to see no guilt shown on the Uchiha's face. _'Do you even care?'_ he thought, losing his balance and his eyes rolling to the back of his head.

"Suigetsu! Focus!"

Said person looked down when hearing his name. He was standing again. Sasuke was next to Juugo picking Karin up, the redhead having no injury marks labeling her body. He couldn't see any enemy ninja near them. "Genjutsu?" he murmured to himself. He hurried towards the others.

"Did you experience that too?" he inquired.

"What are you talking about? We saw Karin unconscious and we ran for her! Why were you just standing there? I know you guys fight a lot but still, we're a team." Juugo said.

"I know."

He watched Karin, seeing her mumble incoherent words. _'What's going on here? What did you feel?'_ he mentally questioned her.

* * *

"It's going to be fine, sir. Tsunade - sama will be here soon to heal your wounds. If you will excuse me, I am afraid an urgent matter has been brought up." Sakura said, patting the old man gently on his hand. He smiled a toothy grin at her, thanking her for the time with him. Leaving the nice patient with other fellow nurses, Sakura walked through the hospital's corridors. Tsunade had called for her, sounding exclusively troubled according to the one male nurse who had beckoned for Sakura. What could have possibly gone so wrong that she had to interfere with Sakura tending to a patient?

The pink - haired woman turned on her right before opening a door and entering a room. The fifth hokage sat behind her desk, scribbling on a piece of paper.

"Sit." she commanded, not looking up. Sakura did as she was instructed, sitting on the floor in front of the hokage's mahogany desk.

"I have a task for you." Tsunade said. Sakura waited for her to continue. The blonde laid the pen she was currently using on the desk, leaning down on her wrists and connecting her fingers together.

"Sakura, do you remember team Taka?"

She received her answer by the confused look on the younger girl's face. "It's Sasuke's crew. It consisted of the two young men Juugo and Suigetsu, along with the female ninja named Karin Uzumaki. She was the teenager you healed after Sasuke attempted to kill you and her both." Sakura nodded her head. She remembered those people all too well. They helped Konoha fight in the war, risking their lives for Sasuke when he was on his death bed. "What about them?" she asked.

"They were discovered today against the boundaries of the village gates, wounded terribly. The female was unconscious, barely holding onto life. Two of her teammates had blood and some other uncertain substance stuck to specific areas on their bodies. Whatever it was, it slowly corroded away the flesh, melting to the bone. It's apparent that they were ambushed. If this hadn't already happened, I would've been confident the Uzumaki could have nursed everyone back to health with her healing abilities. The only one who appeared to arrive here without great physical damage was Sasuke." Sakura's mouth dropped open in awe. _'__S-Sasuke...?'_

"In regards to this mishap, I need you to assist in healing the ninjas. I have assembled a small force to take care of them but due to the hospital being vastly occupied and high ranked members having to fret over other patients, the group is made up of only rookies still in training. I believe you can see how this might be a problem. Four of the six have already contacted me, begging for someone to take their place, screaming things like 'We don't know what the hell we're doing!' and 'I think we hit a wrong artery!'"

Sakura sweat dropped. She felt bad for the new employees. She had been in there shoes at one time. "You can leave everything in my hands Tsunade - sensei!" she exclaimed, determination in her eyes. The ancient woman smiled. "I know I can, or I wouldn't have called for you."

Sakura then exited the office, heading for the ER. When she got there she gasped in surprise, seeing people clumsily jostle into each other. Few held scared expressions on their faces, as if they were deer caught in headlights. "Excuse me! Everyone, please listen to me! I am Haruno Sakura, secondary head assistant to Tsunade - sama. Can you please explain to me what work you have conducted thus far?"

The nurses came dashing like a herd towards her, gathering around her and telling her how grateful they were for her coming and 'saving' them. She learned that Suigestu, Juugo, and Karin were almost completely healed, only bruises and scratches still decorating their arms and legs. The only one excluded was Sasuke. The nurses claimed he wouldn't allow them to touch him, giving them passionate death glares every time they even moved a foot towards him. Sakura chuckled nervously at that. _'It sounds like something he'd do.' _she agreed quietly.

Honestly though, she was a bit opposed at the idea of having to heal him herself. It's not that she hated him or distastes the very thought of touching him. Rather, it was the exact opposite. He was the reason to why she kept having those horrible dreams repeatedly consume her mind every night. She just loved him too much, and it was a hard reality she had to live with. She fervently wished she could free him from her heart, almost to the point where she actually hated falling in love with him. She couldn't comprehend how someone who had inflicted much misery and conflict into her life could have such a strong grasp against her, making her sick of herself for missing him so terribly.

She shook the thoughts away, listening on to what the person in front of her was saying. Good. Good. Oh! - Not so good. Maybe she could... Dammit. She had to treat him, whether she wanted to or not. They had no idea how to get the recluse to cooperate. _'I don't either.' _she solemnly reminded herself. Sighing in defeat, she pushed her way through the crowd. She stopped at a hospital bed with its curtain drawn, the material shielding the person occupying the bed from view.

She put on the best smile she could muster, clearing her throat. _'Come on girl! You can do this! Just pretend he's an ordinary patient in dire need of your help!'_ She peered past the curtain, her hand grabbing a fistful of the cloth and bringing it back. "Hello, Mr. Uchiha. I am here to-" She became at a lost for words when her eyes landed on his toned body.

He was sitting on the edge of the bed, his shirt on the floor. Eight pack abs stared at her from the Uchiha's abdomen, a slash wound stamped there. Strong biceps and triceps accompanied the abs, causing his body to look even more sexier and breathtaking. He was muscular; she'd definitely give him that. He must have trained a lot to achieve those type of muscles. He wasn't extremely buff though, she realized. More so in the middle. He still held his lean built, something which reminded Sakura of the words "just right." She blushed. _'Get a hold of yourself, Sakura! He is your patient!' _she reprimanded herself. She needed to remember who she was!

"Hello," she tried once again. "My name is Haruno Sakura. I am to be treating you today with your condition." She cautiously neared him, seeing if he'd reject her. To her surprise and suspicion, he didn't.

"Make it quick." was all he said. She pulsed chakra through her hands, a greenish glow emanating from her palms. She tentatively touched his chest, beginning at the start of the injury. He slightly moved upon her touch. "Sorry." she muttered. He didn't respond. She gradually dragged her palms across his chest and stomach, taking her time to mend back together the skin. She gulped when she neared the end of the wound, halting her ministrations. It was reaching **_that _**unholy place. She mentally scratched her head, pondering on how to further cure him without getting so close to there.

"Sir, can I ask you to lie down?" she attempted, gently pressing her hands against his chest to emphasize her question. The look he gave her in response sent her chills. It basically said, "try to push me down on this bed and I'll rip your fucking hands off." She flinched. _'Okay, okay! I can see when I'm asking for too much!'_ she thought.

She cowered inside. Why did he have to be so difficult?! He was forcing her to make the situation even more awkward!

"I can heal the rest myself."

She stared at him. What?

"I am afraid I don't understand sir. You are not a medical ninja yourself. You came here to -"

He cut her off. "**I **_didn't _ask to be treated. They _dragged _me in here."

She tried to shrug off the fact that the harshness of his tone bit her like a snake. She watched as he began to cover the last part of the wound with his hands, blushing when she saw him swiftly pick up the hem of his pants to heal the scar.

"Um, okay." she said, uneasily. She stumbled out of the room. She froze when two pair of eyes met with her own, the owners of the other eyes suffocating her with their close proximity. "Thank God! We thought you were dead! You were staying so long in there." the nurses said, exhaling in relief. Sakura smiled. _'At least they care about my well - being.'_

"Thanks for the concern, but I am alright." she said. "Now, as for the other three, we still..."

The remainder of the day was completely exhausting for the kunoichi. She lazily kicked off her shoes and collapsed on her bed when she returned home, exhaling into her pillow. She glanced at her alarm clock for the time, squinting hard at the green digits. Her boyfriend still had an another hour and a half at work. Taking this chance to relax, she started towards the bathroom to begin a hot bath, only to be interrupted by the sound of her house phone ringing constantly off from the living room.

She clenched her teeth, aggravated. Whoever was calling better have had a great explanation for robbing her of her 'special time.' With her bubble bath liquid soap still in hand, she picked up the device.

"Hello?" she muttered into the transmitter, looking impatient as she tapped her foot lightly against the carpet floor.

"Ahhhh!" she heard a loud feminine voice yell from the other end of the line. She winced, pulling her ear away from the phone. Who could it be?

"You won't believe it, Sakura! He is back!" the person exclaimed.

"Who is back? And excuse me, but who exactly isthis?" she asked.

"Sasuke - Kun, of course! He is back after so many years!"

"Oh. I know." Sakura said, a little peeved that the woman disrupted her alone time just for that. Setting the bath soap on the floor, she began to run her fingers through her hair, leaning against the wall. '_This could take a while.'_

"You knew?! Aw! How come I am always one of the last people to find out about these things?!" the other female pouted, still ignoring Sakura's earlier question. The powerful ninja rolled her eyes. '_I wouldn't even have to love Sasuke for him to __**still **__make an impact on my life; his fan girls would make sure of that.'_

"Um...yes. I encountered Sasuke at the hospital today and-"

"Oh! Yeah, yeah, yeah! I forgot all about that! Was it Tachibana who told me or...? Anyway! Didn't he and some redhead chick get caught having sex by some rogue enemy ninja near the village gates?" the person inquired, sounding even more energetic than before.

_'__Sex?!__' _Sakura's mouth hung open. The crazy stories his fan girls could formulate were just preposterous! And to think she used to be like that...

"I heard their bones got ripped out of their flesh or something! Is it true?! Your Tsunade's disciple right? You should know! Tell me, **please**!" the unfamiliar voice demanded. Sakura was taken aback by the forcefulness of the person's pleas.

She shook her head, tightening her grip around the phone line. "I'm sorry miss, but I am afraid I am not allowed to discuss my patient's information without their legal consent or-"

"Oh, come on Sakura! Don't be such a bore!" The person whined.

Sakura sternly narrowed her eyebrows. This woman was starting to get on her last nerve. "**Who **___**is **__this_?!"

She was shocked to hear the woman gasp. "What do you mean 'who is this?' This is Hana!"

_'__Oh...__'_ Sakura suddenly chuckled nervously, her cheeks flushed with guilt. "I was just kidding." Sakura murmured, trying to play off her mistake. "I mean, how could I forget such a lovely cousin?" Truthfully though, Hana was anything BUT lovely. A thick girl with acne covering her entire body and a short temper, Hana was labeled as one of the most unattractive females in all of Konoha.

Sakura heard her cousin sigh on the other line.

"Whatever. All that matters now is that we got Sasuke back! Which reminds me; do you wanna come hang with us? The whole family is visiting Ramen Ichiraku for my birthday tomorrow! Did you get me anything? Wait! Never mind, don't tell me! I want it to be a surprise!" Sakura's face fell at her cousin's words.

"Yes, a present... I got it right here for you." She lied, subconsciously patting an invisible gift box in the air. _'__I am so dead.'_

Her cousin squealed. "So that means you're going, right?"

Sakura couldn't say no to the enthusiasm in her voice. "Sure. I'll be there as soon as I can Hana."

"Great!" She could hear her cousin smiling. She hung up. Sakura pinched the bridge of her nose. Why couldn't she just decline her?

**End of Chapter 1**

**A/N: Hope you liked the first installment of this fanfic. This took me forever to write, and it was difficult for me to type up the fight scene with Team Taka, so please forgive me if it sucks. I plan on this story to get more darker and mature as it grows, so please take heed. Anyone else wonder what our pink - haired heroine dreams about? Or what exactly happened after Team 7 defeated Kaguya and the Ten - tails? ;) This will all be revealed soon in the fanfic in later chapters. I am trying to follow the manga but seeing as I don't know the ending of the manga (yet) and it will most likely close the pairings faster than this fanfic will, the explaining will probably go according to MY way. lol Just a heads up! ^_^ And in case some of you are wondering, Sakura does have feelings for her boyfriend, she just has trouble letting go of Sasuke at the moment. So please don't think of me portraying her as a slut, cause I am not. Also, if you read any of my other fanfics, especially my gaarahina 1 (I PROMISE TO UPDATE ON THAT ONE SOON DOTCHI13, JUST A LITTLE WRITER'S BLOCK! D:), I shall be updating on all of them soon. I hope with this fanfic my writing will continue to grow stronger and flourish as best as it can. My dream/goal is to have one of my fanfics become one of the most greatest fanfics in the fandom world, particularly with pairings, so BELIEVE IT! :D Please review, follow, and or favorite. It encourages me to write, and maybe, if enough, push me into updating faster. :) But NO FLAMES OR BASHING. I will cut you just as hard (unless I feel I am on one of my Shikamaru days and am just like, "Screw it. I REALLY don't care." Thanks and bye! ^_^  
**

**P.S. Sorry for the long Author's Note. -_- *mutters* Stupid Sandman1191999! Too long!**


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